Fabian Picardo became Chief Minister in December 2011 and again in November 2015 after elections won by the coalition made up of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party and the Gibraltar Liberal Party (GLP).

He heads the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party.

Mr Picardo was born in Gibraltar in 1972 and studied law at Oxford University. After graduating from Oxford, he attended the Inns of Court School of Law at Gray's Inn in London.

Mr Picardo's predecessor as Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, held the post for more than 15 years, from 1996 to 2011.

Mr Caruana strongly opposes the idea of shared sovereignty with Spain and oversaw a 2002 referendum that roundly rejected the concept.

He has been credited with helping to develop Gibraltar's offshore financial industry. In 2010, he said his government was transforming the economy from a European tax haven to a financial services hub.